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Young Farmer Keely Mitchell takes home Calladrum Cup

A total of 48 Young Farmers, including five novice exhibitors, took part in the annual overwintering competition.

Keely Mitchell, winner of the Calladrum Cup, with Rachel Miller, of event sponsor Miller Plant.
Keely Mitchell, left, winner of the Calladrum Cup, with Rachel Miller, of event sponsor Miller Plant. Image: Melissa Irvine Photography

A Young Farmer from Aberlour is the latest winner of the Calladrum Cup.

The trophy is presented annually at the Young Farmers overwintering competition at Aberdeen & Northern Marts’ Thainstone Centre, near Inverurie.

It is won by collecting the most points across categories including highest feeder margin, biggest average daily liveweight gain, and best presented, paraded and quality animal.

This year’s winner

This year, the cup has gone to Keely Mitchell, of Carron Mains, Aberlour.

The overwintering competition is now in its 33rd year.

The event encourages Young Farmers to take part in the buying and selling
of cattle through a live auction system.

It also gives them experience in the art of stockmanship, learning how to best feed, present and parade animals for show and sale.

48 Young Farmers took part

This year’s show was judged by Taylor Holloway, of Crawlaw Farm, Galston, East Ayrshire.

A total of 48 Young Farmers, including five novice exhibitors, took part in the event, with 75 head of cattle forward.

Jack Hendry, of Heads of Auchinderran, Keith, won the best quality animal award with a Limousin cross bullock scaling 645kg (1,422lb).

It also won the overall bullock prize and went on to sell for £3,250 to Blair Duffton, of 2 Bogie Street, Huntly.

The overall champion and best bullock
The overall champion and best bullock. Image: Melissa Irvine Photography

The overall heifer prize was awarded to Finlay Hunter, of West Cairnhill, Culsalmond.

It was for a Limousin, scaling 532kg (1,173lb), which sold for £2,900 to BT Kitson Butchers, of Rudby, Yarm.

The champion heifer.
The champion heifer. Image: Melissa Irvine Photography

The overall home-bred champion was a Charolais cross heifer scaling 508kg (1,120lb) from Molly Stuart, of Lettoch Farm, Braes of Glenlivet, Ballindalloch.

She went on to sell for £3,450 to Ian J Campbell, of Daleford, Rathen, near Fraserburgh.

Judges chose this one as the home-bred champion
Judges chose this one as the home-bred champion. Image: Melissa Irvine Photography

Molly also secured first place in the best presented and paraded animal, as well as the Charolais prize.

The sale held after the show saw strong trade, with a busy ringside of buyers and increased averages year-on-year.

Heifer and bullock averages

A total of 51 heifers sold to a top of £8.31 per kg, averaged £5.19 per kg – up £1.40 on a year ago.

The per head average came in at £2,483.92, which was up £642.81 from last year.

Meanwhile, 23 bullocks sold to a top of £6.604 per kg – averaging £4.87 per kg, up £1.60 year-on-year – and £2,613.48 per head, higher by £843.96 from a year ago.

Sale-topper ends up in Keith

Overall, the Young Farmers sale hit an average of £5.08 per kg – up £1.47, compared with last year – and £2,524.19 per head (up £700.78).

Top price of the day £3,600 for a Limousin cross heifer weighing 433kgs (about 955lb) from Abbie Brown, of Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud.

The sale-topper was purchased by Rachael Davidson, of Corsairtly Farms, Keith.

The £3,600 sale topper.
The £3,600 sale topper. Image: Melissa Irvine Photography

Two animals cashing out at £3,500 included the first-prize unhaltered heifer.

This was a 668kg (1473lb) British Blue cross from Stuart Ross, of Wardhead, Strichen, which sold BT Kitson.

The other animal fetching this price was a 530kg (1,168lb) Limousin cross
bullock from the Calladrum Cup winner, selling to Blair Duffton.

Other top prices at Thainstone

Stuart Ross, of Wardhead, Strichen, sold his 672kg (1,481lb) unhaltered bullock first prize-winning British Blue for £3,400, to B T Kitson.

And a 460kg (1,014lb) Limousin cross heifer from Finn Christie, of Newton of Balquhain, Pitcaple, Inverurie, fetched £3,100.

This one was purchased by G&L Carroll, of Aucharroch Farm, Kirriemuir.

Thainstone Centre.
Thainstone Centre. Image: DC Thomson

The second prize bullock – a Limousin cross scaling 610kg (1,343lb) – from Jenifer Hall, of 6 Bruce Brae, Longside, Peterhead, sold for £2,900 to BT Kitson.

Two animals achieved £2,850, firstly a 500kg (1,102lb) second prize Limousin heifer from Kyle Cruickshank, of Clury Farm, Dulnain Bridge, Grantown. The other was a 485kg (1,069lb) unhaltered Limousin cross heifer from Finn Christie, of Newton of Balquhain, Pitcaple.

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